Outlook Express corrupted, Lost Folders

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Outlook Express corrupted, Lost Folders

My outlook Express prefs file (probably) got corrupted, giving error "End of File Reached". I looked at the Messages file and it had expanded to 241MB. The procedure to rebuild the prefs file creates a new EMPTY messages file and relabelling the old one. I saved the old messages file to my desktop and put a Lock on it. Is there any way to recover items from that file. I tried moving the file back into the Identity, but it is not recognized. 100 pictures and 200 JOKES are at stake here!
Thanx
Roodle

Power Mac G3, Mac OS 9.2.x, Outlook Express

Posted on May 5, 2009 7:43 PM

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Answer 1

May 6, 2009 5:31 AM in response to Roodle

Roodle, welcome to Apple Discussions.

Look at this solution in a prior post. http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=360664

 Cheers, Tom 😉

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Answer 2

Roodle Author

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May 7, 2009 8:35 PM in response to Roodle

My situation is a little more complicated thaan the referenced item. I did the "compact" operation and allocated more file space. Then each message that came up had garbage in the message body - instead of the message. So I experimented. I set up an Entourage account and tried resending the items to that account (to myself). The garbage travelled along. So... I tried to send multiples at a time to Entourage. It worked (for a while). The messages came over intact. I thought I had cracked the code, until about 40 items were transferrred. OE got another "end of file reached". The messages file in the OE identity had expanded from just under 100MB to 241MB. I saved that file to the desktop with lock, moved the original messages file back into the identity along with it's associated prefs file and tried again. This time it expanded to 602MB. This is where I am right now.
I believe the data is still there, but index pointers have somehow gotten corrupted, causing the message file to fill with garbage. I recognized some of the garbage as software product names from my hard drive. Yikes!

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Answer 3

Roodle Author

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May 13, 2009 5:46 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

Re: Outlook Express corrupted, Lost Folders
Posted: May 7, 2009 8:35 PM in response to: Roodle
Reply Email

My situation is a little more complicated thaan the referenced item. I did the "compact" operation and allocated more file space. Then each message that came up had garbage in the message body - instead of the message. So I experimented. I set up an Entourage account and tried resending the items to that account (to myself). The garbage travelled along. So... I tried to send multiples at a time to Entourage. It worked (for a while). The messages came over intact. I thought I had cracked the code, until about 40 items were transferrred. OE got another "end of file reached". The messages file in the OE identity had expanded from just under 100MB to 241MB. I saved that file to the desktop with lock, moved the original messages file back into the identity along with it's associated prefs file and tried again. This time it expanded to 602MB. This is where I am right now.
I believe the data is still there, but index pointers have somehow gotten corrupted, causing the message file to fill with garbage. I recognized some of the garbage as software product names from my hard drive. Yikes!

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Answer 4

May 14, 2009 8:31 AM in response to Roodle

You can also try this - Go to your Outlook Express folder Inside the OE folder, look for a folder named Microsoft Internet Self-Repair - inside you'll find a program named Microsoft Internet First Run. Double-click it to run it - doing so should replace any missing files needed by Outlook Express.

Also look at these links. You may find something helpful.

*Mac Outlook Express FAQ*
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tg.online/macfaq/

*Outlook Express 5.0 for Mac Maintenance*
http://www.macoptions.com/oe/maint.htm

 Cheers, Tom 😉

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Answer 5

Roodle Author

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Jun 23, 2009 8:03 AM in response to Roodle

Thanks for the ideas. I have done those things, but I still have an OLD MESSAGES file full of my stuff that I can't access. I did try to bring up the file as simple text just to see if there was anything recognizable. I could identify messages and image data, but what followed was what looked like null data. At any rate, the processes of compacting and restarting OE lost all folder indexes. What I am looking for is a way to reconstruct the folder indexes so I can access the items in OLD MESSAGES.
Thx.
Roodle

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Answer 6

Jun 24, 2009 8:48 AM in response to Roodle

Dang, Roodle, I am in the same boat as you...I guess. I wound up having to do the "complex rebuild" on OE 5.0.6 thing after getting "the end of file was reached" message. Now I have "Messages" and "Mailing Lists" subfolders (showing a total of 31.7 MB) in a Recovered Items Folder in my OE Folder AND in my Identity(s) Folder.

Texas Mac Man, do you think/feel/believe that using the Microsoft Internet First-Run button would usher these messages and mailing lists back into my primary mail account?

Anyone else?

Thanks much,
Pat

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Answer 7

Jul 1, 2009 8:54 AM in response to pcasey322

Help! Texas Mac Man, anyone, help! Please!

Thanks,
Pat

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Answer 8

Jul 14, 2009 8:27 AM in response to pcasey322

I went ahead and tried it by using the Microsoft Internet First-Run button...and nothing happened to resolve my proble. I still have (apparently) an Old Messages and an Old Mailing List folders trapped on my HD which I can't open. And there's a lot of good stuff in 'em that I'd love to be able to open and save.

So, again, does anyone pleeeeeaaasssse have any ideas regarding a possible solution to my dilemna?

Thanks much in advance,
Pat

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